SLIDER

BONJOUR & WELCOME

My name's Nicole - a Toronto-based makeup addict. Welcome to my corner of the web where I share my love & experiences with all kinds of beauty, makeup & skincare products. Head on over to my About Page to learn more about me.

GET SOCIAL

NEWSLETTER

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Ah, we are finally in the midst of Fall! It seems to be every bloggers favourite season because of the fashion, berry lips, pumpkin spiced lattes (that I am not the biggest fan of), etc. Personally, I like Fall because there's a whole switch up when it comes to makeup. There's no need for a light, sweat-proof routine any more. But more importantly, there's no need for an excuse to go crazy with your eyeshadow! You can do a smokey eye everyday and no one will care because it's just acceptable in the Fall. The palette I'll be reaching for the most this season is the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

I haven't subscribed to a beauty box in such a long time. The only subscription I ever subscribed to was Ipsy. I remember how nice it was to just get a bunch of beauty products every month. It was like a little present I got each month. So when I received the September box* from Beauty Box 5, it was really fun!

Monday, September 26, 2016

I'm pretty sure the first time I ever put on eyeliner was in grade 6. I literally lined my eyes with black liner and that's all. I didn't know it back then, but that's a definite no-no unless you're going for a raccoon-ish or emo look. It made my eyes look smaller than they are. But hey, I was only 10 or 11, give me a break!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

There are so many beauty products that get hyped up around the blogging community and on YouTube. It could be named the 'greatest drugstore' product and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. But when it comes to a high end product with a higher price tag, I often question: Is it worth the splurge? I don't jump on the bandwagon every time, but admit that I have had my fair share of buying hyped up products. Some things didn't work out for me, yet some did. Here are a few bits in my collection that were definitely worth my $$$.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

It's kind of bittersweet to say but Summer is finally coming to a close. I don't usually do favourite-type posts on my blog but over the Summer months, there's been a few things that I stayed faithful to and used all season that I wanted to share with all you lovelies! It's a mix of things, not just beauty. But enough with the stalling and let's get into it;

Monday, September 19, 2016

For the past month or so, I haven't been wearing as much makeup as I used to. I'm pretty sure that's mostly do to the fact that it is (or was) Summer, so I couldn't be bothered to put a ton of products on my face. Just recently, it started to get cooler which means I'll probably going back to my old ways and be doing the most with my makeup. But if you were curious about my minimal makeup routine, here it is!

Saturday, September 17, 2016

If you haven't heard of this tag yet, you've probably been living under a rock. This is the ever-so-popular tag created by Jaclyn Hill. I've seen a lot of beauty bloggers doing this and I love reading their answers to know which products are their holy grail. I feel like I've been in the game long enough to pick out which products are my ride or dies. So, if you're curious about which products I cannot go without, this is them!

Primer | I'm sure any regular reader of mine would have guessed this, but of course it has to be the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I reach for this so much especially when I want my makeup to be flawless! It smooths out my skin making it the perfect base to blend my foundation into. It also keeps my makeup in place all day, even on those hot summer days. Though I have to admit, this primer is pretty pricey so I try to use it sparingly. Regardless, whenever I run out, I will always go running to Sephora to repurchase this.

Foundation | The EX1 Invisiwear Foundation is something I always go crawling back to after trying out new foundations. I've been faithful to this one for over a year. The shade I have (F200) was specifically made for more olive skintones (that's me) which is probably why it works so well with my skin and why I love it so much. This foundation easily gives a medium-full coverage with a beautiful satin finish - though can easily be matted with a powder. Another plus side, it's not an expensive foundation.

Concealer | If the Maybelline Fit MeandAge Rewind Concealers had a baby, that would be my answer. But since they don't, I have to cheat a little and mention them both. Together, they give me amazing coverage without feeling too thick on my face. They blend beautifully and never crease on me. A lot have compared the Fit Me concealer to the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I've tried both but I would still choose the Maybelline one.

Face Powder | I don't usually set my whole face because it sometimes feels too heavy. Also, after I do all my under-eye setting, bronzer, contour, blush, highlight, etc., I think it's covered enough surface..so technically I did set my entire face.

Under Eye Setting Powder | To think I've ever used anything besides the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powderis absurd. There was a lot of hype towards this product and I can honestly say that it was so real. This is such an amazing powder for setting my concealer and even for baking. It never creases and doesn't feel and/or look cakey ever.

Brows | I kind of have to cheat again and mention two products. But what do you know, they're from none other than the brow queen herself, Anastasia Beverly Hills. I've tried a few brow pencil but nothing stands out more to me than the ABH Brow Definer. I really like how easy it is to use and I think it gets the job done much faster than those thinner pencils. Secondly is the ABH Brow Powder Duo. This is great for going back and filling in any spots that I missed. I use it every single time I do my brows.

Eyeshadow Palette | I had to think about which palette I thought was the most versatile and the one I get the most use out of. The first thing that popped into my head was the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. I've been using this for a while now and every time I pull it out, it never disappoints. The shades are neutral enough to use everyday, but they can also be used to create a nighttime smokey eye. I was just gifted the Naked Basics 2 Palette, so I can't wait to see how it compares to the original.

Eye Liner | This is technically not cheating because I do have to mention a liquid and a pencil. But hands down, the best liquid liner I've ever used is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. That stuff does not budge! It's the blackest black and it's really easy for me to control. What else could you ask for in an eyeliner? As for a pencil, I have to go for my trusty Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil. Even when I put it on my waterline, it does not move or smudge.

Mascara | I haven't been the biggest fan of mascara lately because I just love wearing my falsies. Though for the times I do opt for mascara, I will always reach for my Rimmel Lash Accelerator. It does a great job at separating my lashes and keeping them from getting clumpy (I hate the spidery look). The thin wand is also great for getting to my teeny tiny bottom lashes!

Lashes | Another cult favourite, the Ardell Demi Wispieshas been the perfect lashes for me. I love the way they look on my eyes. I have mentioned a similar pair in another post, but I went back to these because I just think they look so much better. I bought a 4-pack recently and I will gladly repurchase when I'm done with those.

Bronzer/Contour | I was super late on the Benefit Hoola Bronzerbandwagon but I'm so glad I finally hopped on this year. It's such an amazing bronzer that even works well to contour. It blends beautifully onto the face. Ever since I bought it, it's all I've been using.

Blush | Believe it or not, I don't have many blushes in my collection. I'm not the biggest fan of bright pink blushes or corals. I like to go for a more subtle/neutral colour which is why MAC Harmonyis the perfect blush for me. It's not too bright and it's great for adding a little flush to the cheeks.

Highlight | This was a no brainer for me. Becca Opalhas been the blush that I always go back to time after time. I feel like this shade looks best on my skin tone compared to all the other highlighters I own. The formula is really nice and the pigmentation is amazing! Whenever someone asks for recommendations on highlighters, I automatically say this one!

Lipstick | The only lipstick that I religiously go back to is the Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace. I've owned it for a while now and I still love it! The shade is one that will never go out of style. The formula is smooth making it easy to apply and it's also nicely pigmented. The packaging is really sleek so it's easy to just throw into my purse. I just recently found out that it's a Canadian brand, so that's a plus for me too - haha!

Liquid Lip | I've mentioned the KVD Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bow N Arrow so many times on my blog that you might have already guessed I was going to say it. Kat Von D has to be my absolute favourite formula when it comes to liquid lipsticks. I tend to have drier lips but these don't dry mine out at all! It feels so comfortable on and the shade is a perfect nude.

Setting Spray | The only setting spray I've ever tried was the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray. I haven't tried any other ones because I really like this one and it works for me. I definitely see a difference when I use this as my makeup stays on much longer and does not budge at all! This also helps to make your makeup look less powdery, if that's a problem.

Perfume | I got a little sample of the Balenciaga Florabotanicafrom Sephora a while ago and loved it so much that I went ahead and bought a rollerball of it last year. I love the floral scent of it. It's not too overpowering, which is great because I'm kind of sensitive to some perfumes. I also get tired of scents easily but knowing that I still love it after more than a year says something!

Have you done this tag yet? Link yours in the comments so I can check it out!

Thursday, September 15, 2016

I swear there is so much more to me than just my makeup obsession. When you read a beauty blog, all you get to see is our beauty-crazed posts but don't really get to know the actual blogger behind those posts. To change that, here are a few facts about me that you probably didn't know.

01. I have a passion for interior designing.

I've always liked decorating my room and rooms in my parents' house. I'd switch up the look of my room as often as 2 times a month, trying to feed my love for designing/decorating. After finding out about Pinterest, the obsession just grew. I dream about having my own place one day and decorating it the way that I want to.

02. I used sharpie as eyeliner.

This is such a bad one, but yeah I did. It was a really long time ago, but for some reason I thought it would be okay to do that. Sometimes I'd even use coloured sharpies to switch it up - haha! Thankfully, nothing bad happened to my eyes or skin.

03. My belly ring ripped off during work and I waited until the end of my shift to check on it.

I was washing dishes at work and I guess I was too close to the sink. My belly ring somehow got caught on it and when I stepped back, it just ripped off. I was in a state of shock and too scared to check it right there and then, so I just continued working. When I was done my shift, I went to the washroom to see the damage. (Warning: What I say next, might make you sick. I'm sorry.) I flipped up my shirt and found a chunk of my skin on the belly ring, which was now separated from by body.

04. When I first got my dog, I was terrified of him

Technically, this was my second dog but I had a traumatic experience with the first one. He (the first dog) bit my leg when I was a little girl, so we ended up giving him away. So when I got home and saw a tiny little puppy, I was excited but low-key scared. I would flinch or run away when he got close to me, lol! Let me know if you would like to see a post about my dog!

05. I'm allergic to cats.

The first time I had an allergic reaction to a cat was when I went to the Philippines. There were a lot of cats roaming around so I pet one. My eyes got really itchy and swelled up. The second reaction was a few years ago when I slept at a friends house. She had a cat which I got close to but by the end of the night, my eyes were on fire. So I guess that pretty much proves my allergy to cats!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

A load of people in the beauty blogging world have been raving about these new face masks from L'oreal. When everyone first started talking about them, I couldn't wait to get my hands on them and try them out. You could imagine my disappointment when I went to 3 different drugstores and went back home empty handed. It wasn't until the next week that I was casually flipping through a flyer and saw them right smack in the middle of the page. I went to the store the following day and bought the black & green one. They didn't have the red one at the time, but I went back the following week and saw the red one (it was the last one on the shelf, lucky me!).

Monday, September 12, 2016

Over the weekend, my blog had been going through some big changes. I apologize if you visited my blog while it was a little under construction as I was changing and fixing up this new theme. But on to bigger news, I've finally dropped the ".blogspot" from my site and I actually switched over to a brand new name!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Though I love booties, heels, flats, and all those girly-er shoes, I do also love a good sneaker! I always go for sneakers when I know I'm going to be walking a whole bunch or I just want to be comfortable. I don't own a whole bunch but I do have enough to narrow out a top 3. These are the shoes that I'm most likely to pick up when I want to wear a sneaker.

Thursday, September 08, 2016

Today, I'm sharing a really fun collab. My friend, Rosie (from Rosie Mae Aroha), and I decided to challenge ourselves a bit for this one. I'm sure a lot of you have heard of this challenge before, but if you haven't - basically, we have a limit of $20 to spend on makeup and create a look using just those products. To be honest, I found this really challenging because drugstore makeup has gotten pretty pricey compared to before so it was hard trying to keep everything under $20. But here's what I opted for:

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

It's that time of the month again, where I set goals and update you guys on last month's. Well, I'm so happy to say that I accomplished all of my goals from July! I've successfully gotten back to the flow of blogging. One of my favourite things about blogging is the photography aspect of it. I'm not a professional nor do I claim that my photos are the best, but I just love taking them and experimenting with my camera.

Monday, September 05, 2016

If you read my August Haul, you may have seen that I finally upgraded and got myself an iPhone 6s. I love the feeling I get when I get a new phone. It's sort of like a fresh start. And what comes along with that fresh start, you get to choose which apps you want on your phone! These are a few apps I've installed onto my new phone:

Saturday, September 03, 2016

Friday, September 02, 2016

If you're a regular reader on here, you might have known that going Pokemon hunting in Downtown Toronto was one of my goals for August. Well, I finally made that happen! Two weeks ago, my boyfriend and I decided to take a little trip to the city and satisfy our itch to really Poke hunt.

Thursday, September 01, 2016

So I finally got caught up in the hype and bought some products from Kylie Cosmetics. If you haven't heard about this brand, (you've been living under a rock) to sum it up, it's owned by the one and only Kylie Jenner. People have different opinions on the Kardashians/Jenners. To be honest, I'm a fan of Kylie and Kim (not die hard though). I follow both on snapchat and I always see Kylie talking about her lip kits. Which is what pushed me to pick up some lippies from Kylie's brand.